meet the
2025 YCS selectees
“Children’s Suite for Jazz Trio: III. Hopscotch“
SMALL INSTRUMENTAL GROUP
ABOUT JAMES:
Peter is a pianist, church organist, composer, and arranger originally from New Hampshire. After graduating with his B.M. in Jazz Studies from Loyola University New Orleans in 2022, he moved to Miami to pursue a Masters in Studio Jazz Writing at the Frost School of Music. Peter regularly composes for the Frost Jazz Orchestra and the Henry Mancini Institute Studio Orchestra under the tutelage of Maria Schneider and Stephen Guerra. His latest work includes “Rejected,” an original album for large jazz ensemble which was recorded in 2024.
As an educator, he is interested in jazz composition and arranging pedagogy and presented his current research at the 2023 Teaching Composition Symposium at the University of Utah. As an artist, he enjoys finding inspiration in the diversity of sounds of the surrounding environment.
“Out of the Fog“
LARGE INSTRUMENTAL GROUP
ABOUT ADDISON:
Addison Tharp is an award-winning composer, arranger, trumpet player, and pianist who regularly plays around the Los Angeles area. Originally from Marietta, Georgia, he received a BFA in Jazz Studies from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in 2021. There, he studied with Andrew Bishop, Bill Lucas, and Ellen Rowe. Addison received his Master’s Degree from USC’s Thornton School of Music in 2023 where he studied with Vince Mendoza, Jason Goldman, and Michael Stever.
Tharp has recorded, performed, and written for many different artists including the Yellow Jackets, Scotty Barnhart, and Charles McPherson. He has received many awards, most notably the Downbeat award for Jazz Arrangement: Large ensemble, for his big-band arrangement of Lenny White’s L’s Bop. Tharp has written and performed with various groups at many different locations such as the Umbria Jazz Festival and the Detroit Jazz Festival.
Currently, Tharp is in his Second Year of his Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Southern California where he continues his studies with Vince Mendoza.
“Green Jacket Under the Blue Sky“
SMALL INSTRUMENTAL GROUP
ABOUT HANA:
Hana Uwai, born and raised in Osaka, Japan, is a composer and pianist. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music, where she studied with Ayn Inserto. She is currently pursuing her graduate studies in Jazz Composition at the Manhattan School of Music, in the studio of Darcy James Argue. Throughout her academic path, she has been the recipient of several scholarships and awards, including the Berklee Global Tour Scholarship, Zunz Family Indian Ensemble Scholarship, Zakir Hussain Scholarship, the JEN Yamaha Jim Widner Scholarship, Duke Ellington Award and Ken Pullig Award as the Berklee Spring Award, and the President’s Award at Manhattan School of Music.
“Thoughts on a Warm Sunday Evening”
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP w/ VOCAL SOLO
ABOUT OPHELIA:
Ophelia Ariadne Worbes is a German vocalist, educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer based in Barcelona, Spain. Her musical journey began with classical violin lessons at age 8, participation in church choirs, and later self-taught guitar playing and songwriting as a teenager. She formed her first bands at 16, blending Indie, Alternative, Soul, and Singer-Songwriter styles while performing across Germany. Ophelia pursued classical and jazz vocal training at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar, where she studied under renowned mentors like Michael Schiefel, Jeff Cascaro, and Achim Kaufmann, earning her bachelor’s degree in 2023. During her studies, she participated in international programs such as “Caravan Orchestra & Choir” in Israel and “VOCAL ART” in Frankfurt, and released her debut album Foreign Scents in 2020—a fusion of Jazz, Pop, and Folk music.
Ophelia has performed widely as a soprano soloist with ensembles like the National Youth Big Band Thüringen and was awarded prestigious scholarships, including the Deutschlandstipendium and Erasmus program. Her studies at Taller de Músics in Barcelona deepened her exploration of Jazz, Flamenco singing, and composition, culminating in innovative solo and ensemble projects. In 2022, she earned a full-tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she now studies composition and actively contributes to student organizations like the Society of Composers. Her work continues to receive recognition, with her composition being showcased in the “Reverie” concert series at Berklee’s David Friends Recital Hall in autumn 2023.
HONOARBLE MENTIONS
previous ycs selcetees
- Joseph Borsellino, New England Conservatory of Music –
“THE LALIBALOTCH SINGS AT DAWN”
- Dava Giustizia, Berklee College of Music – “INSINCERE”
- Zhengtao Pan, Berklee College of Music – “FLAMENCO A MUÑECO DE NIEVE”
Alex Shanafelt, Indianapolis, IN – “UNEQUIVOCALLY”
- Alexandra Sjobeck, Eagle, ID – “BLUE LIGHT”
- Kevin Zapata, University of Miami Frost School of Music – “WANDERING”
- Clint Bleil – Pittsburg, PA – “Ubiquitous Lumineferous”
- Kate Hamann – Frost School of Music – “Her Colors”
- Stephen Harvey – Salisbury, MD – “Projectile Dysfunction”
- Josh Karas – Vanderbilt University – “Fantasy in C Minor”
- Skylar Tang – San Francisco Bay Area – “What? Why?”
- Gary Wang – Bejing, China – “Bill’s Board”
- Michael Clement – University of North Texas – “Evading Karmacities”
- Hatsune Hirakura – Berklee College of Music – “Dear M”
- Lola Miller-Henline – San Francisco Conservatory of Music – “Mind of Its Own”
- Katelyn Vincent – Phoenix, AZ – “Unfinished Business”
- Nathan Poehlke, University of Oregon — “Feeling Sleepy”
- Maya Keren, Princeton University – “Wyndmoor”
- Phillip Ryan Goss, New England Conservatory – “Untitled No. 1”
- Annie Booth, University of Colorado – “Jolly Beach”
- Gabriel Severn, Loyalsock Township High School – “Canção Para Fina”
- Andrew Saliba, San Diego – “Silent Minority”
- Eri Chichibu, Berklee College of Music – “The Sea – Seven Years Voyage”
- HONORABLE MENTION
- Paulo Santos, University of Texas Austin – “Twisted Voyage”
- John Sturino, New York, New York – “Tip City”
- Yoko Suzuki, Berklee College of Music – “Cat Tricks”
- Bryann Kennard, University of Miami – “Let The Wild Rumpus Start”
- Martina Liviero, Berklee College of Music – “Pasajeros”
- Brian Martin, University of Massachussetts – “Lookin’ Forward”
- Sam Ross, University of Michigan – “Portuguese Bend”
- Jameson Scriver, Indiana University – “The Good Fight”
- Elliot Turner, University of Northern Colorado – “What Are You?”
- Tracy Yang, Berklee College of Music – “Yes and No”
- HONORABLE MENTION Ethan Moffitt, University of Southern California – “Step by Step”
- Lucas Fonseca, Berklee College of Music – “Colloquio”
- Takumi Kakimoto, Berklee College of Music – “Find Phrygiayn”
- Kyle Myers, University of North Texas – “Tomorrow Morning”
- Zachary Rich, University of Northern Colorado – “Community”
- David Rogers, Vanderbilt University – “Sivan”
- Gregory Weis, University of Northern Colorado – “Liquid Descent”
- Aida Demoya, Berklee College of Music – “TC For Leo”
- Anna Jelkéus, University of North Texas – “Above”
- Heui Lam, Berklee College of Music – “The Unknown Bell”
- Tobias Meissl, Berklee College of Music – “Deep Tree Fission”
- Chang Su, University of Northern Colorado – “Forbidden City Garden”
- Casio Vianna, University of Northern Colorado – “For The Rise Of A New Day”
- Mike Conrad, University of Northern Colorado – “Gerry’s Timepiece”
- Andrew D. Herring, Shenandoah University – “27”
- Nacho González Nappa, Berklee College of Music – “Candombe Juno”
- Matt Shugert, Indiana University – “Madeline”
- Tom Amend, University of Northern Colorado – “What Do You Say?”
- Keith Karns, University of North Texas- “The House At The End Of High Street”
- Chase Morrin, Harvard/NEC – “Three Brahmin”
- Drew Zaremba, University of North Texas – “Blues For Gabe”
- Lucas Apostleris, University of Massachusetts – “September Again”
- Enrico Bergamini, Berklee College of Music – “Convergence”
- Raphael DeLima, Frost School of Music (University of Miami) – “Quebra Cabeças”
- C. Tyler Dennis, San Francisco, California – “What Would Thad Do?”
- Aaron Hedenstrom, University of North Texas – “Honeybee”
- Carter Brodkorb, Toronto, Canada
- Jose Gurria, USC
- Laila Smith, San Jose, California
- Dave Stamps, University of Nebraska-Lincoln2012 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
- Socrates Garcia, University of Northern Colorado
- Brett McDonald, Rutgers University
- Emily Merrell, University of North Texas
- Tyler Mire, University of North Texas
- Chase Morrin, Harvard University/New England Conservatory
- Kate Skinner, University of Northern Colorado
